The Last Treasure
by Vampiratelady
Summary: The stories will continue even if his legacy comes to an end.


**DISCLAIMER:**

I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of its characters.

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**The Last Treasure**

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Elizabeth Swann gazed past the windows of her small cottage with a longing in her eyes that she couldn't quite hide. The shadows casted by the trees made the world outside more gruesome and foreboding, and her sunken heart became even more disheartened. The legacy of the pirates was coming to an end..

The adventures within their grasp turned to ashes and the endless hours of sailing across the seas became patented to almost nothing, and because it became too dangerous she had to finally settle down from the position of king and let Jack to take over. She had a son to protect, so there's no question what responsibilities she had to choose among the many that she had. For the sake of her only family, Elizabeth had to see many people hanged, from old women to small innocent children forced to piracy because of poverty.

She came from a very rocky path from a notorious buccaneer to a governor of the small town that she lived in. She earned the respect of her people through hardships— blood and sweat. And because she managed to survive, it was only a testament that pirates could change for the better and poverty was not the hindrance to success, but rather, it's those people who discriminated and ill-treated them, they're the real hindrance to a promising future for the people who longed for a life of peacefulness.

Those who sat amidst the luxury of gold, debauchery, and law— their idea of peace was to kill as many pirates without proper trial. Because she had lived the lives of those thieves, Elizabeth did the opposite and offered them the understanding that they deserved. Of course, not everyone was worthy of her help but Elizabeth made it a point that old women and young children should be given the chance to have a normal life.

She gave them shelter and employment and did what she could to protect them from the very law that endangered their lives. And because the prince regent became a close acquaintance of her when she saved him from pirates, her unprejudiced actions saved her from those people who wanted to ruin her reputation and destroy her hard work.

"Elizabeth."

She whirled around and saw the familiar silhouette in the shadows of the room. She whispered his name and then ran towards him and engulfed him in an embrace which he returned ten times tighter.

"I thought they captured you too.." She said against his neck and sobbed with relief. Those familiar arms of his never failed to make her feel safe, whenever they held her, Elizabeth felt her burdens slipping away. Is it possible to love someone so much?

"I'm fine, love. Have you forgotten who I am?" He chuckled.

She looked up at him and noticed for the first time those dark and enigmatic eyes, and those knols which accentuated their depths. He always looked rough and tough but whenever he looked at her, those eyes would change as desire filled them with life.

Slowly and expressively, Elizabeth drew her arms around his neck. She leaned close to his face and those lips without breaking eye contact. "Aye," She breathed. "But you're just a man."

Jack looked at her lips and felt the instant jab of heat to his loins. The damed woman. He nearly got himself killed just so he could go to her and now she would attack him at the very doorstep of her house?

He cupped her face in his hands and drew the pads of his thumbs over her cheeks and leaned down to kiss her forehead. She's the very first woman whom he had treated so gently. Heck, she's his closest friend, though their relationship wasn't quite platonic. "Are you going to have me right here, luv?"

Elizabeth laughed and drew back from him. "I might but I don't want my son to walk in on us."

Jack smirked at her. "Afraid of a little scandal, are we?"

She rolled her eyes at him and then moved away. "It's not little, and we're talking about my son. What would you feel if you see Teague having—

"Okay, luv. I see your point." He said and stuck out his tongue before he followed her in the kitchen. "That is a nightmare. And your son probably inherited his father's obsession with swords. I don't want my little guy cut off."

Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him. "You know he adores you. You managed talk him into taking that apprenticeship with Mr. Seid when I've been trying to persuade him for months."

Jack leaned against the small kitchen table and crossed his arms. "So, he finally decided to be a man of the law, eh?"

"Yes." Elizabeth said. Their lives had always been tied to piracy but Elizabeth's father Weatherby was Governor of Port Royal after all and her son William was smart and very helpful to the people in town. Jack saw this and talked to him about studying law but William was set against the thought and said that he'd rather become a pirate.

Elizabeth knew that Jack had realized the change in civilization that's why he didn't disagree with her when she told him that she didn't want William to live the life of piracy. Soon, the stories would turn to legends and the maps would lay covered in dusts. Treasures would stay unearthed from the ground and the uncharted waters would remain in mystery. It would only be a matter of time..

She turned around and walked to the table before she placed the plate filled with bread and a bowl of soup beside it. Jack watched her with those knowing eyes of his. No doubt, he noticed her change in demeanor.

"Jack.." She started hesitantly. Then, she looked up at him, her teeth chewing her lip nervously. He knew what would come next.. "Why don't you live with me?"

Jack smiled and then darted a glance around the room, seeking an escape. "Here?"

Elizabeth raised her hand to his cheek and he turned towards her with his somber eyes. "Stay here.. with me." She whispered, her voice pleading. Elizabeth knew that Jack wouldn't settle down. He would sail the seas until his last breath. And she would never tie him down. But she couldn't help the urgent need to keep him safe.

".. Lizzie." Jack closed his eyes. He did want her. But to have her for the rest of his life was impossible. He would never retire from his captaincy, he would always live in the Black Pearl and to abandon his men wasn't a sacrifice he would willingly do.

He opened his eyes and saw her smiling face. "I knew you'd say that." She said with a helpless shrug. Jack kissed held her hand and placed a kiss in the middle. "You knew me better than anyone, luv."

She slapped his face playfully. "That's because I'm the only woman who could last a day in your company without ending up naked somewhere." She snatched her hand away with a huff. Pulling a chair, Elizabeth sat down and took a bread and divided it into half.

Jack sat down across from her and took the other half. "Is that a compliment to my conversational skills or an insult to my lovemaking?"

She narrowed her eyes teasingly. "Your tongue's talented either way."

Jack raised his bread in salute. "Long live the pirate queen."

That night they locked themselves in the bedroom. Her lover lost control and demanded things he would never demand before. It's the first and only time she ever heard him say 'I love you', as if he wanted to imprint himself in her heart and in her soul. Elizabeth thrashed and strained, unable to bear any separation between their bodies. And he took her many times and pleasured her until tears fell from her eyes. They embraced each other as if they would never see each other again.. and they both knew that it's the last time.

After a few months, Gibbs arrived at her house and gave her a small box containing a few of Jack's belongings. Elizabeth instantly knew what happened even before Gibbs broke out the news for her. Jack died a honorable death at sea. Gibbs said that Jack never let go of his sword even though he could always turn tail and run or outsmart the enemy with his riddles and whatnot.

"He wanted to be remembered." She said to Gibbs as she looked down at the box, her eyes shining with tears.

"Aye." Gibbs said with a tight voice. "He never said anything.. but your name before he died."

Elizabeth closed her eyes but a single tear managed to fall down from its corner. "Oh, Jack."

Gibbs left right after and said that he had to go to Tortuga to drown his sorrows and maybe he could find a new captain to serve. Life must go on but Jack would always be the greatest captain he had the misfortune to meet. And that his last job for him was to keep his legacy going even it it's only by stories.

Elizabeth opened the box and touched the trinkets and baubles inside. His compass was there at the bottom with a roll of paper tied to its string. She unrolled it and saw a rough sketch of her house and the vicinity outside.

Chuckling, it was so like him to leave one last adventure for her. She opened the compass and watched as the arrow stopped. She followed where it was pointing and looked at the middle of her garden. She circled the place once to make sure that it was truly the place where the compass pointed to.

Then, she tapped her foot on the soil and kicked some of the dirt away. She went back to the cabin to take her shovel. Then, she returned and began to dig. She was only a knee deep under the ground when the soil began to creak. Elizabeth knelt down and dug at the soil with her hands. There was a round metal handle in the middle with a sparrow engraving at the center of the handle. She traced it with her finger for a few seconds, a smile on her face. Then, she began to clear the rest of the soil away and discovered that it was a cargo box.

She leapt back to the ground and knelt, her hand clasping the handle. She exerted enough force and the lid swung upward to reveal gold, treasures, and precious stones all scrambled inside. But what caught her eyes was the black wooden sculpture of a swan and a sparrow in flight. She took it in her hands and clasped it against her chest. For the first time she could no longer hold her tears and cried.

_To Elizabeth Swann, my beloved queen.._

_FIN_


End file.
